"his green robes flapping around him like he was a kind of cross-breed between a bat and a piece of broccoli." This made my day, sweetie! Really! Priceless!

This story of your is addicting! Really! I can't bare to think I have only one chapter left to read and then I have to wait for an update!

Let's take it from the top! Scene one, girls getting ready! I love the banter they have going on and the way in which they relate to one another. I love seeing girls described like this, as opposed to gossip queens who do nothing but get each other in trouble.

Next, the date. I have never read a more original first date scene! Having them playing around in the shop, changing their appearance and just being goofy was so fun to read! The comment about Fred and the elephant had me laughing so hard my stomach hurt!
It's clear by this point that Louis likes her, though I think he needs to belly dance in front of her with a sign saying "I like you" for her to notice. C'mon! The rose, the taking her away to somewhere quiet! I feel like shaking the girl and spelling it out for her! The dude is part Veela! If you don't want him, I'll have him!

Speaking of Roses, as much as I love Rose/Scorpius, I'm glad the Fern is his girlfriend in this story. I want to see more of Scorpius! And I was right... Secret boyfriend?

The party scene seems like so much fun, a bunch of socially awkward people having fun and being awkward. Not that our girls are like that. Not at all.

The ending made me really curious. What could be happening with the spells? Maybe somebody's tampering with the magic of Hogwarts? I can't wait to find out, so I'm off!

Oh and I did spot something, just a tiny little thing:

"The fact that it's better to be in love when you out with someone, for instance."" - I think you're missing a "go" in this sentence.

Other than that, great work!

Author's Response: I had so much fun writing that line, glad you enjoyed it!

You've picked up on exactly what I wanted to get across -- yes, these girls genuinely love each other. Drama queens can go somewhere else to see if I'm there, but they're staying out of this.

The date, sigh... When I wrote it, I asked myself: where in Hogsmeade have characters not been? And this came up, though originally I had them in a cafe, but then I was like NAWW LOUIS WOULD TAKE HER SOMEWHERE SPECIAL. Tada!

The mental image of Louis bellydancing made my day, and now I'm desperately thinking of a way to include it. Hmm. NO YOU MAY NOT (I'm sorry) -- he's all for Autumn!

You were right about Fern, sort of, but there's more to that! I love to hear you're shipping Ferpius though.

Seriously, Autumn is entirely based off me in the party scene. Parties? That thing with music? And dancing? AND PEOPLE?!

Aha, the spells are confusing, aren't they? It's a big part of the plot, so keep throwing theories at me!

I knew it I knew it I knew it! I had a feeling from the last chapter that Autumn and Louis might have something going on, and if you didn't write this down, I would've told you to do something about it! Loved it!

You have this brand of humor that I really like, where the characters are funny (sometimes rudely so) and yet so lovable. I especially liked the Weasley women talking about the monthly clan meeting! This is why I love NextGen! The kids are so close in age and attend school at the same time, get scattered all over the place, they're like a small gang! :D

I'm still trying to figure out what might be wrong with Fern, though Ginny in CoS keeps popping into my mind. She can't be possessed can she? Or have a secret boyfriend? And why am I comparing these two?

The last scene with Autumn and Louis was so sweet. I liked how she basically understood she was doing him a favor and he kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear! Ah, young love! :D

I love this story and you are amazing my dear! Again, I'd like to poke around your mind to see where you come up with all these ideas! Great job! I'm looking forward to the next one!

Oh and as a side note I forgot to make on the last chapter. Ginny in HBP actually told Romilda Vane that Harry has a Hungarian Horntail (much more manlier than a Hippogriff) and Ron has a Pygmy Puff tattoo. That is all :D

Author's Response: I am sorry to tell you this, but Autumn is blissfully obvious to the feelings Louis may or may not have for her, so it is going to take time... I also happen to be thoroughly irritated with stories where the girl flings herself at the guy, which is going to show here! Worry not though, there is a sequel planned to this.

You're entirely correct about them being a gang, though I prefer the term family mafia. I can totally imagine Dom with black sunglasses plotting people's murder and sipping her glass of wine.

AH FERN. Maybe! I don't want to spill too much, so I'll just say that your theories are interesting, but not entirely accurate!

Yes they are cute. Their interaction makes my heart squishy, so there will be a lot of it, though it will be agonisingly slow and frustrating!

Do not poke around my head, seriously -- it'd be bad for your mental health.

And thank you for pointing out that error (though Dom wouldn't be entirely aware of her uncles and aunts' school years).

I just love this story! The girls are so fun and lovely in the way in which they stick together! I liked the atmosphere in the part of the chapter where they fight in the dorm and just fool around being girls.

I also liked how Louis is like an older brother to her, because in every story I see him as the youngest and that's an original break! Poor Dom, Fleur is dating again! I hate it when parents date! :p

And Fern has gone missing... that's a twist. I can't wait to see what's happening there!

Brilliant chapter m'dear! I'm off to read more!

Author's Response: Of course! Summer just has a knack for ending up in problematic situations, except Autumn is there for the rescue...

There aren't enough real girls around the archives, I think -- not everyone spends hours describing their clothes, gettng drunk and/or pregnant, and ditching classes to snog their enemy in an abandonned broom closet.

Yes, I mixed up on cannon with Louis. It just fit my purposes better! I think Dom misses her mum more than she'll admit -- she's very innocent in this sense, hoping that her parents will end up together again...

Awh Val!! This chapter is so sweet and awesome - thank you so so much! I'd like to say I'm not tearing up the third time I read it...
I love Dom's quirky quick comebacks, and the way she's not an early morning riser adds even more originality and humour to it - I love all the characters you've created! The flow is smooth but reasonabley fast paced which makes it so engaging and gripping.I also love how you've portrayed Roxy - she can sometimes be the non-prankster, the quiet one, but your portrayal of her is the best one as a prankster! The idea with the twin notebooks is hilarious - you make up such awesome pranks and tricks!
The small bits of detail make this story so unique and fambubblybumshus - e.g saying that Isabel grew up with 4 dogs, the memory of her and Louis slipped in there - you've created strong realistic characters with such strong back stories it's a like the style of Rowling herself, actually.
The way Summer gets money is very inventive, but Id rather stick to my way, thanks. The letter Autumn received (by Polka - the awesomest name for an owl EVER) had me in fits of giggles, I love her uncles, and I can't wait to meet Yuna!!
I'm also looking forward to the name of Sophie's kitten...I'm expecting a good name.
I have no idea about the wands - all I can do is credit the imaginative problem they've been faced with, and hope it makes their relationship stronger and let there be plenty of bonding time between Louis and Autumn :P
The whole face painted with a different house ttrick sounds genius - pure genius! It's so funny, and I like how you bring memories back with Louis and Autumn to create that history and chemistry between them.
Overall, the most amazing, hirrandipopping chapter of them all - thank you so so so so much - best birthday present ever wo! :D

Author's Response: SOPHIE &hearts

Dom is entirely a figment of my imagination, of course. Everybody loves mornings, didn't you know? (Huhuhuh, NOT, getting up is the worst thing ever).

Roxanne is actually the most prim of all -- Angelina educated her well -- but at the same time, you can't be George's daughter and not have a sense of humour!

THE STYLE OF ROWLING *flails*

Yes Noah and Newton are the best and they come back soon :)

The cat is named Caesar, as you'll discover in chapter six...

HAPPY HIRRANDIPOPPING BIRTHDAY TO YOU AGAIN THOUGH THIS IS REALLY LATE &hearts

Oh my! I knew you did action and suspense, but now you do comedy as well? Is there anything you can't write?

I loved this chapter beyond words! Really! The girls are so funny and each of them is given her own space where she can be herself and have her own thing going on.

The names! THE NAMES! Where do you come up with all of this? I swear I am in so much awe every time I read one of your stories! I love how each of the girls, even the twins, is her own person. They are so different, despite their similarities and they embrace that. They have their own friends, their own support systems and still manage to be a family.

I liked the part about Bill and Fleur being divorced. Well, not because they're divorced, but because this is something I haven't seen yet in fanfiction and it's an original idea!

I can't wait to read the rest of this story, I'm adding it to my favorites and once I'm done with the other requests I'm coming back and reading the rest!

The names were originally for a parody, actually! It was two in the morning, and I wanted to write a really stereotyped next gen with two twins, a blonde named Summer and a red-head named Autumn, and, well, it turned into this.

Bill and Fleur being divorced made me sad -- I almost had Ron and Hermione instead, but that was quite common (especially in Dramiones), so I went for something else. Glad you like it!

Ah this seems like an awesome story! I absolutely love your story idea, especially because it's about an OC who isn't in a Potter/Weasley group completely. So, thumbs up. On to your concerns-

This introductory chapter was definitely a good start. The plot seems great so far - as I said, it is quite original and refreshing in a way. The summary has me intrigued, especially the magical flux part, so I am eager to see how things play out in that direction. I also liked the way you gave a lot of background information about the characters/plot in this first chapter itself as it definitely establishes the setting for the further ones. So basically, I'd say that the plot seems fun, interesting, and quite original, so good work there.

As for characterisations, this being the first chapter I can't comment on it much, but so far, I am liking your characters. You have given them all certain distinguishable traits which is good as with too many characters, a reader is bound to get confused. I also like your main OC's character, she seems very fun and nice. Just be careful of not turning her into a Mary-Sue (though I assure you, in this first chapter she doesn't seem like one). I also like the way you introduced the minor characters and kept them connected to the main OC's life, as I've seen a lot of fics where everything is about the main OC and the minor/supporting characters are not focused on. Good work there.

The descriptions are great as well. I enjoyed them all, be it the small details or the important ones. The way you have set the scenes is good. There's a balance between action and dialogue and I like it. It all played out in front of my eyes like a movie, so yay for your descriptions =)

Your over all grammar and phrasing etc. is all good too. The whole chapter flowed smoothly despite the various scenes, and I think you handled the transitions well. I liked the way you ended it on a cliffhanger too, it is interesting and makes you want to read more. After all, the "green light" can be interpreted in so many ways. All in all, I enjoyed this chapter immensely, and I am sure the story is headed in an awesome direction. So, keep writing!! Do re-request for chapter 2. I have no CC to offer =)

Great job!

Cheers!
AD
(AditiDraco95)

Author's Response: Hi Angie!

I'm happy you think the plot sounds interesting so far -- I'm trying to stay away from just a 'he loves me he loves me not' type of story. I'm also attempting to stay away from a Mary-Sue, but seeing as Autumn is not a Quidditch star, nor some mysterious beauty, so far I think I'm safe!

Friendship and family is a big part of this novel. I really wanted to create group dynamics where everyone is tight-knit, without backstabbing or pettiness. Gad to hear it's working!

AHH I love hearing your compliments on my description -- it's something I have to force myself to think about, and compliments about it remind me why I bother. Thank you!

As always, thank you for your amazing review, and I will make sure to rerequest when your slots are open :)

Okay, interesting right off the bat. I have to wonder what could possess a man to leave four daughters behind--that is, why stick around so long and then just up and quit after Ivy was born? I imagine we'll find out later, so I'll wait for that. I liked how you dove into Autumn's internal dialogue and let her explain the family's situation a little bit. You did kind of lose me once you launched into the part about who was in what House and year at school. I prefer to see details like that sprinkled throughout the first few chapters with context clues as opposed to just handed to me straight away.

Okay, I think I need some more context in the second section. I'm American, so I've obviously heard of Maroon 5, but are they popular in Britain? Where is the quirky anecdote about how four young witches learned to drive? And I'm a little confused about how the electronics can function so well with so many wizards and witches in the house. I think it's fine to sprinkle in bits of Muggle stuff, as long as you provide a rationale for it all.

Okay, love what you've done with the Potter-Weasleys! I'm so sad that Bill and Fleur aren't together, and I'm definitely curious to find out why. But I did like how you sprinkled the children and cousins across all four houses without making a huge deal of it, and how the Seasons aren't related to the family, just good friends of theirs. It makes for a very interesting cast of characters.

Love the riddles! Possibly the best thing about being a Ravenclaw--interesting passwords :) I don't know where you came up with them, but I like them a lot. And that ending, whoa! I wonder what will greet me in the next chapter next time...

Very nice so far! Looking forward to reading on :)

-Amanda

Author's Response: &hearts

The names are the result of a three-in-the-morning whim planning a Next Gen parody, if ever.

About Andrew, well, you shall see! And yes, I know this is insanely complicated to follow (I had an Excel grid to help me when I wrote this, if you must know). Introductory chapters aren't really my forte, so I apologise, but hopefully this gets clearer afterwards?

Maroon just happen to be a band I really like, and Sophie (the person for whom I wrote this story) appreciates them just as much, so it was just a wink to the conversations we've been having.

Whoops, did I say the girls were driving? I meant their mother, the girls are only sitting in the car. The electronics function because this big gathering of wizards is temporary; most of the time it's just a little old witch who lives in the house!

Bill and Fleur's divorce isn't really a big part of the story, to be honest. I just thought at least one cannon couple should be divorced because apparently it's a 1:3 ratio in real life. Hermione and Ron were overused as a bickering couple, so I went for Bill and Fleur instead (though it made me really sad too).

RAVENCLAWS RULE. House pride weaseled its way here, it couldn't be otherwise :)

I'm really happy to be swapping with you on the long term, and I'm sorry it took me so long to respond to this lovely review...

HELLOOO! I have just ingested a whole lot o' espresso and I am finally here with the lengthy review that you deserve!!!

First of all, YES. You already dispelled the twin-core possibility with Louis and Autumn's wands. I'm glad that you didn't do that--obviously that's been used in this series before ;D But now I'm even more interested to know what's going on! It would have been cool to hear some more of their interaction with Flitwick. I know you don't want to give anything away, but even if they had the twin-core conversation in his office... I love the Hogwarts that you've created in this story, and it would be fun to read more of it with the new Headmaster!

(One teensy thing... if it's late at night, how did they see all the way out into the lake and recognize Summer in the dark?)

BUT I LOVE THAT SHE IS SWIMMING. Most importantly, I love that they're in the Black Lake. What a daredevil she is! The mentioning of Louis's fancy aftershave was a nice touch. He is the son of Fleur, after all. I feel like I always say this, but I want more of each scene! They're so fun to read, but it's like just as we're getting into it, the scene ends. It was really great that Autumn made such a scheme up to pay back her own sister, and that Summer fell into her trap. But I just felt like they were all kind of like "hey! alright bye!" A lot of this story has been Summer and Louis character development, which is done so well (I will gush about this in the next paragraph) but I would like just a teensy bit more of Summer in that scene! :3

As mentioned, I really like Louis and Autumn's friendship. Clearly there's something more there, but it's very believable that they'd get on. They're totally relaxed around one another, like they don't have to make any effort. Their friendship comes easily. All of the back stories, like falling into the pond and pelting each other with apples, are a really nice touch.

Ahhh! The letter from home was so great. Their family is so realistic and believable. And how wonderful that they will have a bigger flat now! Two per bedroom is still more than a lot of people have to worry about, but I'm sure at this point they're just excited to have the space!

I love all of these little WWW inventions you've created. Especially the twin notebooks... I would be so mortified if that happened to me! Luckily it sounds like Autumn escaped revealing too much about herself ;3

Hmm, would you possibly consider breaking this up into two chapters? So much has happened in one chapter (twin wands, Summer's midnight swim, the dance between Louis and Autumn, elaborately planning the surprise birthday, and then the actual birthday...) I just would love some more detail! Descriptions of place, weather, other lovely things that you do so well.

Plus since so much has happened, it's a good idea to kind of remind readers of things. Reviewing what we already know, but may have forgotten, really helps. What if Autumn spent some time wondering about her and Louis's wand? It's such a strange phenomenon, but I feel like she totally forgot about it. What happens when they're in class, or when she used the Lumos spell later in the chapter? Do the wands only react when near each other? It's just such an interesting plot point, I think it could really do with some explanation :D

Also, what were her sisters' reactions to Yuna? There are a lot of characters in this story, and it helps to make it so great. But I've already forgotten basic information about their distant family members. You could easily reminds us by having the sisters talk to one another about the letter, or having Autumn write back.

Like I said, this story is really fun to read because it's fast-paced. But this chapter has so much information that it'd be good to take a step back :D

OOoooh, the excitement of rising very early to do something fun! It reminds me of when I was younger before school trips or something, and that feeling of not wanting to leave your bed and the excitement of knowing that something fun was about to happen. The line "we all seemed to carry pieces of each other" is really beautiful! I know it's just in passing, but it's even better that it was written that way. Bringing any more attention to it would detract from the lighthearted mood of the scene. I think that it's very well done!

(I am sorry to be so adamant about this, but...) If you broke this up into two chapters, we would get to read about them sneaking out to the boat house. I don't think we've ever seen that place in canon, so it'd be very exciting to read! Not to mention the thrill of them hiding from patrolling Prefects and the like.

I like how the chapter title comes back to play in the end. This story is so fun and so cute! I'm glad you updated! Please don't think that my suggestions to break it up are for any reason other than I want to read as much about these characters as possible. xD Can't wait for the next.

♥!

Author's Response: SARAH I LOVE YOU.

Yes, I should have developped that. *wears hat of shame* The interaction between the wands is something I'm going to stay very quiet about though, and seeing as this is the first introduction to this idea I want the readers as clueless as the characters.

I've edited the bit about Summer now, as you know. Yes, daredevil is appropriate! Autumn would disagree and say stupid though... I'm actually having a lot of fun writing the twins' scenes -- it allows me to inject my crazy side in Summer and my sensible side (huh) in Autumn... And then I wonder why I feel bipolar!

Yeah, Louis is very much Fleur's son -- and she does appear later on, so we get to see some of that.

Something more? Whatever are you on about?! (Autumn is 100% clueless on this one, poor girl).

I love writing the family so much it shouldn't be allowed, and I'm so happy you think they're realistic! I really wanted to stay away from the used-and-reused theme of tense parent/child relationships, so people telling me I'm managing makes my day!

It's funny that you mention the WWW inventions because those are generally spur of the moment ideas that will most likely not reappear. The notebook scene was huge fun though -- Autumn was lucky indeed!

OKAY SO. Thanks to this wonderful review, I've cut this chapter in two, and expanded some scenes, so I will not develop your last points just in case somebody reads this and gets spoilers.

BUT YOU ARE THE BEST AND YOU DESERVE A LOT OF ESPRESSO'D HEARTS &hearts &hearts &hearts

Hey there! Thanks so much for the swap - and sorry for getting this to you a bit later than supposed... I got sidetracked by Kung Fu Panda... ahem.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this! I love the fact that your OC doesn't have a tragic past or anything like that as so often happens, has a bunch of crazy siblings (let's be honest, they're all raving, lol! But fun-raving :D), and isn't a pureblood in Gryffindor kinda thing. I also like how you didn't mention anything about blood status or everything being so divisive since they're in different houses - it makes Next Gen feel a lot calmer and more together after the war, if that makes sense.

The name are great. I like how you used the seasons for her and her twin and gave a reason for them having slightly odd names - it was a nice thing to see, and a good explanation, lol. I mean, even in canon... Nymphadora? :)

Autumn's a great character, really. She seems so far to be fairly impulsive, I'd guess at not necessarily the cleverest in her family, doesn't seem to be hugely sporty - she seems like a nicely average kinda character (I may be totally wrong on this), which I like. Not everyone in Next Gen can be a prefect/Quidditch superstar/a genius, after all!

The only two things I'd say were that this is very long and a lot happens in it - maybe think about cutting some of it out (maybe the christmas scene? You can introduce family through letters and talking about what happened at Christmas, kinda like you did with Roxanne in this) or just shortening it, coz it's a lot of take in. As well, and it's pretty much linked, there's a lot of characters! Since they're all pretty much girls as well, it's a little hard so far to really distinguish between them all - you point out that Fern is different, but there's not too much character development for the others.

But yeah, I really enjoyed this, though! I love the reference to the Calendar and their surname being Seasons and the fact that they're all sisters, and how you've included so many little details which show that it's after the war, so you don't need to tell us. I'm curious as to what they're all going to get up to at Hogwarts - and feel more than a bit sorry for the teachers already ;)

Your comment about things being calm and less divisive does make perfect sense, and it's what I was aiming for, so thank you!

You're also spot on about Autumn being average. Well, not entirely though: I did choose Ravenclaw to show she has academic facilities. Other than that, yes -- I wanted her normal.

I'm aware that this is very long, but it sort of sets my goal in terms of wordcount. The fact that the family was intorduced directly was a way for me to show that the family is the most important aspect of this novel, if that makes sense, though I will definitely consider editing the Christmas scene!

I have just remembered now that Noah is in this, how could I abandon him??? HOW???

I'm here now though, ready to review :D

Aaaah, I love Summer just 'arriving' in the common room like 'Gimme my shoes Autumn'. Ravenclaw do have the worst security system (Hufflepuff have the best, lets face it, they get vinegar poured on their heads if they get the knock wrong:P) Sorry, inner house pride came out there, I apologise!

"It's not because you're as slow as a fat kid on crutches that I have to be as well."

-Ah! I love this line! Its so funny! I like Summer a lot, she seems so witty and sharp, not the usual stereotypical Hufflepuff who just wanders around like 'Oooh! Look! A cloud! Gimme food!' she's smart, and with it, and has the ability to break into Ravenclaw tower!

And then she leaves her shoes in under the kitchen sink. . . . ah well! She had a good run! :L

What on earth are memories of Fern doing in Autumns wardrobe? Mystery time!

And poor Fleur and Bill are divorced. . . .Molly must be like 'I told you she wasn't right for you, come on Bill, who was right!'

'stop looking like the receptionist of a funeral parlour'
That line is a pure gem! That is seriously the wrong thing to say to someone who's sad, but Autumn can pull it off! :D

Oooh! Penelope's a cool teacher! I like this, as usually she's portrayed as a female version of Percy, so this is different!

And Summers a gambler? BAD GIRL SUMMER! BEHAVE!

Where is Fern though? I'm worried now. . . .

Aaaanyway, I'm sorry for the very random review, I'm in a very good mood so it was a bit disjointed :P

FEEL FRE TO RE-REQUEST! :D

Author's Response: NOAH MISSED YOU, BUT IT'S OKAY, HE'LL COPE.

I've missed you too you know...

Really, vinegar poured on their heads? Is that actually true? And you have every right to be proud to be a Hufflepuff, Puffs are awesome! (I'd probably be one too if I wasn't a Ravenclaw).

Summer is not a stereotypical fanfiction Hufflepuff, or at least I'm aiming to keep her as far from that as possible! Glad to see it's working :)

Haha I loved the start of this, it just reminded me of how me and my sister can get at times! I really like how you just threw us into the story, sometimes it can lead to confusion, but I didnít find that was the case with this story. I think it was because you then went back and added in some explanations, which meant that the reader didnít get lost.

I really like what youíve done with the names, it made me laugh! I liked how Autumn and Summer were twins, as Iíve never seen that done before. I also thought it was great that you made them argue, as people tend to assume that twins will be best friends, but this seemed to be a more accurate portrayal.

I liked how you made the family quirky! With their dad leaving them, you donít often see single parent families in fan fiction. Then them being tall, having the name Ďcalendar girlsí, and not appearing to be too keen on it. Then with the older generation being quirky, and of course there had to be a gay uncle! I love the name Noah by the way, it fitted in really well :)

I really liked the banter between Roger and Noah, it was just funny to watch. You set up really nice dynamic for their relationship, and you can tell that they were friends as well as being a couple, and you donít often see relationships portrayed so accurately. Autumnís narration was great. It just had the right amount of wit and sarcasm, and she made funny observations on everything.

The characters all seemed really original and unique, and you could tell that they each had their own identity. I also liked how you spread the Potter/Weasley clan among the houses, as it creates some cool dynamics!

I thought this was a great first chapter, and thanks for the swap!

-Kiana :D

Author's Response: HELLO YOU :)

I'm glad you didn't find this too confusing -- a lot of people have told me it was (and I totally agree, by the way). Autumn and Summer being twins sprouted from a three-in-the-morning-illumaination for a parody: I had the red-head and the blond, and then things kind of turned to this.

Siblings argue. That's just how it goes. This is entirely based on my relationship with my brother, actually, and again, I'm glad you like it!

Yes, Noah and Roger are great, aren't they? :)

The Potters and Weasleys all being in Gryffindor is one stereotype that annoys me, for soem reason, so obviously I went down the other road and dispatched them everywhere...

First of all, I want to say that your writing style is amazing! Seriously, it flows so cleanly, is fun to read, interesting, funny, has great characters and has this...this Hogwarts feel to it, if you have any idea what I'm talking about. What I'm getting at here is that in many next-gen stories I've read, they're all about parties and boyfriends and just don't seen Hogwartsy.

This amazing story on the other hand, has an awesome Hogwarts teenager about it. Your large cast of characters are all so realistic and I like that fact that your students actually GO to classes, and discuss the teachers.

I loved all the little details and descriptions in this chapter, from Roxanne telling Autumn about Professor Clearwater once dating Percy (I loved out loud at that photo) to the perfect descriptions of their dormitory to the idea of having shoes under the sink at home. Everything you write seems so real...like Autumn and Summer and all their friends could actually be real!

I think what I like most about your story so far is that you have managed to make it different. I like that all five of the girls in the dormitory get along, rather than having one or two girls who are shallow and seem to have absolutely no redeemable features. I like that Dom still has some of those typical Dom characteristics that we all love so much, but that she is not a complete drama queen. She is actually angry for a reason...but she gets over it quickly, and seems to be a generally quirky and happy person. I also liked the idea of Summer having a gambling problem...that was a very interesting dynamic for a teenage girl.

I really like all of Autumn's friends, and I also really, really liked Louis in this chapter! I wonder if he'll be a potential love interest? We haven't been introduced to many male characters yet, so my mind is going wild!

I absolutely loved the way you finished this chapter, on a bit of a cliffhanger. It definitely made me eager to read more...this mystery with Fern and that box thingie Autumn found in the dorm, with the memory strands are very intriguing, and I like that you already have a bit of plot in your story. It makes it very, very interesting.

You are going to have to re-request! I can't wait to read more!

Courtney:)

Author's Response: Ugh, how do I respond to this wonderful review?

I am so glad you think there's a Hogwarty feel to this! I've seen so many posts about Next-Gen not being about school, and I really wanted to steer away from that, so thank you!

Similarly, I wanted to give Dom a new approach, so it's good to see that's working too. The same goes for the girls in the dorm - I mean, Harry got along well with his dorm-mates, even though they had some argulents, so I don't see why the same couldn't apply here, right?

Ah, Louis! You'll see...

I'm so happy you like this story, particularly because I adore Missing, so recieving so many compliments about my take on Next-Gen makes me smile like a fool :) Thank you so much for the review!

(Also, crap, I just saw your A/N before I even began the story and now I know about Ferpius (yes Ferpius.) Damn my wandering eyes.

Anyway! It was fun and unique that Autumn and Louis went to WWW. A lot of Hogsmeade trip FF scenes read the way that they must have felt to be on them. A nice break from the castle, but we've already been to Honeydukes and Three Broomsticks a hundred times. This was a refreshing take! The ending scenes where they raced one another to the castle, and the rose he conjured, were very cute too. I'm shipping Autumn/Louis pretty hard... hrrmmm... Lotumn? That's a hard one.

Slughorn! I keep forgetting that Wizards generally live longer... which is strange. But I love that you addressed that right away by asking "Shouldn't you be dead?" hehe.

The only critique I have is that you say the Ravenclaw parties are a small get-together, but when she comes downstairs there's flashing lights and people dancing and music. These two ideas seem to conflict a bit--was this an unusually busy party? Otherwise I'd imagine it to be quiet chit-chat with a few drinks, as you hinted at before :3 Also I don't think the dress description for the party was too long, but maybe her outfit for the date? I like the "aww man I like dressing like a tomboy but fine, I will wear this backless dress" bit. But it's a bit repetitive twice in one chapter.

I'm really curious to see what's going on with their wands though! And I haven't forgotten that photograph found in the first chapter... and Fern's (Fern's, right?) gambling problem.

Can't wait for another update!

Author's Response: FERPIUS, YES! That's much better than Scern, and almost as awesome as Ediver.

I'm so happy you thought the date was okay, because when I sat down to write it, I had no idea what to do about it. So, WWW. As for the ship name, Loutumn has been suggested, if ever...

Okay. Bear with me if I launch into a detailed explanation about my party-lacking knowledge.
Basically, I figured that it was possible to have House-only parties, without the alcohol, but with people acting just as stupid. No? I need to edit, in any case, so I'll add that to my list of things to modify. The same explanation goes for the dresses: the contents of my cupboard consist mainly of jeans and tshirts, so I had some trouble coming up with the description of something different. I'll change that too!

Nope, Summer's the gambler, but other than that, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the photograph either.

Chapter 5 should be up reasonably soon, I think. Thanks again for your wonderful feedback :)

I love the closeness of the Seasons family :D It's so clear in how they sit down for Christmas dinner together and how Summer, Fern and Ivy don't get jealous when Autumn is asked to be Yuna's godmother. (Can I just say I did laugh out loud when you said Roger was gay :P I couldn't help but think it was all Fleur's fault...) I also loved the friendship between the girl's flourishing, as well as the obvious Ravenclaw-ness of the four. I'd love to read more and see the character's developing. The divorce of Bill and Fleur was well done, it wasn't completely unbelievable and it just goes to show, even if you are a Weasley, married life is tough. Oh, and I want to see more riddles, I can never get them right ;) And I want to know what that green light is... I'll read on, and I'll review all the chapters in the coming days :D

Author's Response: Hello you :)

I'm so glad you like the Seasons and their family - I really wanted them to come across as tight-knit and realistic.

No, that's not Fleur's fault! In my head, Fleur accepted to go out with him to cover up, if you really want to know...

There will be more riddles, and you find out what the green light is in the next chapter.

OH MY GOODNESS I LOVE THIS AMAZING, PERFECT STORY ALREADY!! HOW ARE YOU SO TALENTED?

Okay, sorry. Weird, slightly manic moment with me flinging my hands in the air over. As you might've possible guessed from that lovely little introduction, I absolutely love the idea for this story, and this first chapter was perfect. There are so many thoughts running through my mind now, and I'm not really sure which bits I should point out in this review because I liked the whole bloody chapter!

Deep breaths Courtney, you can do this...

So my first thought when I started reading this was: yay! A story about twins! I always love reading about twins - partly because I have a twin sister myself and I always like to read other peoples perspectives on them. I am really interested to learn more about Autumn and Summer's bond...they seem to be pretty tight. Actually, Autumn seems to be very close with all her sisters, which is awesome. And I absolutely loved your description of their bedroom. It seemed a pretty messy and chaotic but friendly atmosphere to live in. And I like the fact that you are already beginning to develop each sisters different personality.

Oh my god, I love Noah and Roger! They are so perfectly adorable and I really, really hope we get to see more of them. The definitely added a very humorous edge to this chapter. In fact, I loved every single member of Autumn's family, to be honest. The dynamics you have created between them all are awesome. I know how hard it can be to write scenes involving big families, and so I think you did a really good job.

I always love to read about Dom, and your Dom seemed like she's going to be pretty awesome and a very fun character. It's also kinda nice that Dom and Roxanne seem like their going to be your main Weasley girls, because there are quite a few Rose stories out there, so this makes a nice change.

Other little details that I enjoyed were the line about Fred getting a bit of cereal stuck up his nose (I love Fred!) and the fact that Fleur and Bill got a divorce! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT? In saying that, I'm kind of glad you did. It makes a nice change and I don't think I've ever read a story where one of the Weasley couples is divorced...hmm.

Anyway, this story was awesome, and I'm definitely going to read more!

Courtney:)

Author's Response: OKAY YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO FLAIL BECAUSE MISSING MORE THAN BEATS THIS, OKAY? (Flail anyway because flailing makes me happy!)

You're so lucky to have a twin! I've always wanted to have one... To write Autumn and Summer, I base myself on my relationship with my brother (no real links then): we love each other, but we argue. That doesn't mean someone else has a right to slap him though, those are /my/ privileges!

Anyway. I'm glad you liked the entire family, you'll see them more because I love writing them...

Yes, Rose. Right now, I stick to th stories I'd read before with Rose, but I'm getting sort of annoyed with her: she's either perfect or a non-12+ word. Dom and Roxanne give me more space to write.

Fred, heehee. He comes back too!

I'M SORRYYY -- I don't even know why them, of all people, because I will ship them until I die. Ron and Hermione divorced was a plot twist getting old, maybe?

I like the pace of this chapter, it was informative, but to the point where I remember most things mentioned.

Okay! Your characters!

My favorite has shifted to Louis. I don't read a lot about this kid, so I'm excited that he's becoming an important figure! I'm guessing that he'll be a romantic interest...? I'm I right? Actually, don't answer. Just re-request your next chapter for me to review to figure it out.

Summer has a gambling problem?! Epic! I know I'm supposed to be opposed to this, but it's so different from other "problems" on hpff. It's very unique that a seventeen year old girl has a gambling problem. I'm impressed.

I'm also still geeking out about how Fleur and Billie are divorced. So many new ideas! Look at you, breaking away from normal hpff.

Okay! Awesome chapter ;D

Jack

Author's Response: I AM PROUD! GO JACK!

Ahem.

I'm so happy you like Louis! He is going to be a very important figure, as you'll realise, but I won't say anything about romantic interests.

Summer has a gambling problem, but it's not going to be a huge issue in this, though it will have some side effects, of course.

Thank you for the review, I'll continue to stalk/keep a close eye on your review thread for a free spot :)

The opening scene really grabbed my attention (a fun fact for you: that literary technique is called "in medias res." Now you know a latin phrase for your writing style! :O). It was brilliant.

I really like how interesting the names of your characters are (I got a little lost, but I managed to figure it all out :P) and they all have their own personalities. This brings me back to when I had to fight for the bathroom with siblings. Good ole' days.

You have a brilliant way of weaving sad things into your relatively humorous story. The lousy father, the inability for Newton and Emily to have children, and Fleur and Bill's divorce. They aren't dwelled on, which is fantastic because everyone has a sad story in their life.

I also like the way you describe the scenes and setting. I could visualize the bedroom the sisters stay in.

As for your characters: the gay uncles are hilarious, Daniel Smith is a stud (Wow. Undergarments? Impressive.), and my favorite is the doorknocker leading into the Ravenclaw Common Room. So much sass.

This cliffhanger is brilliant.

The only thing I would have to say is that everyone was introduced so quickly. I blanked on a couple of names that I read, resulting in me going back and re-reading some sections to figure out who they were. Eh, it's not that big of a deal. I wouldn't worry about it.

You're not the first to tell me this beginning is slightly confusing, and I'm fully aware of this fact, but I don't see where I could make it clearer... Hopefully the next chapters make things clearer? That's what I'm attempting to do anyway!

Daniel Smith comes back, and I hope you'll like him! And I had way too much fun writing the Ravenclaw knocker.

So I really enjoyed the first chapter of this, if that wasn't clear from my review of it. I think the opening for this was really interesting. You don't often see a Sorting Ceremony flashback in any chapter other than the first because the Ceremony symbolises beginnings and everything. But I enjoyed it. It showed Autumn's anxiety at being separated from her twin well, but without dwelling on it overmuch.

And anticlimactic, much? I was expecting Voldemort in drag, or something!

Those memory strands were intriguing! When can we find out more about them? I love me some mystery! And because I still don't know where this story is going yet (which is nice, by the way. I usually read the endings of books, so it's nice that the plot is a bit of a mystery at the moment), I hope that those things are part of it, because they sound like they could be a lot of fun!

I've seen so many portrayals of Dom as being hot headed and temperamental, but it's nice to see that whilst your Dom seems similar to them, this seems to be genuine anger, and not some act to gain attention or just be a drama queen. It is weird though to see Louis being the cool and calm influence though! I think you handle their family situation well - with sensitivity and realism.

I'm liking Autumn's friends. I think they're a pretty cool bunch. I especially like that Roxanne listens to gossip, but doesn't spread it - it's very endearing!

So this chapter was pretty filler-y, but there seems to be some progress with plot, because Fern's gone missing, and then there were those memory strand things... And one of Autumn's friends is hiding something. And Summer has gambling issues which could become something bigger, perhaps?

PS: I'm so sorry that this review is like half as short as last time. I'm in the habit of writing long reviews, but there really wasn't much that I could go on about - it was all pretty good! Although, waiting for a bigger hint on the plot would be awesome...

Author's Response: Hi!

Yeah, that was kind of anticlimactic, sorry about that... I enjoyed making my readers expect the worst though. That image of Voldemort made me laugh, thank you for that!

Ah, you find out more about the memory strands fairly soon, and yes, they are an important part of the rest of the story. As for plot, without giving too much away, it follows Autumn through her sixth year (during which things will of course happen, otherwise what's the point?).

Dom was my main concern in this chapter. I've seen so many portrayals of her, but I still wanted to make her my own -- thank you for thinking she's different!

Roxanne is an adorable person. That is all (though she does have quite a sneaky side when she wants to).

Fern is an essential part of the mystery, hopefully the next chapter brings the beginning of an answer?

Your reviews are absolutely brilliant, don't worry! I love reading them, because you pick on the right things and make me reflect on things I wouldn't have thought of otherwise. I'll be off to rerequest for chapter 3 asap.

So the first thing that grabbed my attention was that their mother is one heck of a woman. She was able to make them behave with just two words! Amazing!

The second thing that grabbed me was that they had weird names. And they knew it. And hated it. I liked that a lot actually. A lot of OCs have weird names, and I guess that makes sense because the Wizarding folk are into giving their kids weird names, but they all seem so accepting of it. I have a weird name myself, and although it's grown on me, I know it's pretty weird. I thought it was a pretty realistic portrayal of people with weird names. This bodes well for the rest of the story.

Ooh! I hope we learn more about the dad! I love a bit of family mystery! And how on earth do you fit five people into a flat?

I think it's really cool that the sisters aren't in the same Houses. Two of them are Hufflepuffs, but one's a Ravenclaw and one's a Slytherin. Is this a really clever and subtle way of saying that inter-House enmity has lessened, and people are more accepting of each other's differences, especially within their families? Obviously, the Black family was big on Slytherin, but I remember Ron mentioning that his family wouldn't be too pleased if he wasn't sorted into Gryffindor.

I like that the girls seem so normal so far. They're close, which is nice, but they fight, and argue, which is also nice - because that's what families do.

Their scribble wall sounds adorable! My bedside table has a few sibling scratches in it, but it doesn't nearly compare!

And I don't know about anything else, but if they're Maroon 5 fans, they've won my heart over!

Haha! I haven't even met their grandmother and I already like her! With a name like that, she couldn't be anything less than awesome!

I think your descriptions are really nice. I'm not feeling overwhelmed by them, but neither am I feeling like I'm reading this story blind, so to speak.

I laughed out loud at the banter between Noah and Roger. They were too adorable together! They sounded like an old married couple!

OH MY GOD THERE'S GONNA BE A NEW PERSON IN THE FAMILY! WOOHOO!

And I am embracing the clichť wholeheartedly. I enjoy a good clichť from time to time!

Can I just mention that Dom's reaction to being jumped on and then squashed from one's friends' "love" is the most realistic description I have ever heard of that kind of discomfort? I think Autumn's friends sound like a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to learning more about them!

Now that I've ramble-reviewed my way through the chapter, perhaps it's time I addressed those things you wanted me to address? In terms of characterisation, I don't feel like I really know the characters that well. Sometimes you feel an instant connection with a character, and I was missing that. This isn't a bad thing Ė it's nice sometimes when you develop a relationship with a character over the course of a story. As far as plot goes, it's a really nice introduction! We have a scene set, and that mini-cliff hanger at the end certainly proved to be intriguing. I didn't feel any issues with flow. There were time jumps, but they were handled well, with the line dividers really helping to define one section from the next.

This was a super nice read! Feel free to re-request! I'd like to see where this goes!

Author's Response: Hello!

Yeah, Ellen is pretty amazing, isn't she?

You know, the idea for weird names is one that sprouted around three in the morning, and then, sadly for the characters, it stuck. I'm happy you find it realistic!

We do find out a bit more about the dad, though I can already tell you it's not something particularly exceptional.

Well, the fact that the sisters are in different houses is a bit of a jab at inter-house enmity, yes. I think that after the war, people would have realised that Houses mattered less. Or maybe that's just me interpreting. In any case, the Seasons family are fairly tolerant √Ę¬Ä¬ď their grandma has WiFi, isn't that significant?

I love the idea of the scribble wall √Ę¬Ä¬ď I really wish my parents allowed me to have one of those!

Aaah, Maroon 5 are the best, aren't they? Glad to have won your heart over with that.

Noah and Roger are, technically speaking, an old married couple, minus the married part, though thanks to new legislations in England that status may evolve, I'm not sure√Ę¬Ä¬¶

This has become a new favourite of mine! ^.^ I love the Louis/Ton chemistry and I really hope they get together (after some hardships of course! What's a supermegafoxyawesomehot relationship without a rocky start? :P) I wonder what's going on with Fern? And I really want to read more over all. I love the relationship between sisters, and the names, and EVERYTHING! I haven't been this seriously excited over an ff in aaages so thanks a lot! :D
1000/1000 x

Author's Response: Welcome aboard the Calendar Girls bandwagon then!

Ah, Fern is a mystery that you'll soon find out more about. As for Louis and Autumn, I won't say anything, but I'm sure you can figure out what will eventually happen :)

I'm really glad to hear that you haven't been this excited in ages -- seriously, that's so flattering for me!

Eekk!! Questions!!
Uno: Fern - I love the way she is friends with Peeves - totally original, inventive and so awesome!!
Dos: The unbeatable duelling team!! Hell Yeah! It made the twins seem so more realistic and their relationship so much more strong. I love the way their defense and attack positions reflect their characters.
Treiz: Louis and Autumn huh? I love the way it's Louis and not James, or Al. I love this relationship even more than...wait for it...even more than KIWI AND OLIVER!!
Quattro: The bits of humour you put in it is just amazing and make it so funny!! The Uncle George bits had me falling about laughing, you portrayed him so well and humorously.
Cinqo: AWESOME CHAPTER!! Overall brilliance and Hirrandipops!! (New word)
100,237.674 out of ten! :3

Author's Response: Uno: You're awesome.
Dos: Unbeatable duelling team indeed! There will probably be some Muggle fighting too in further chapters.
Tres: ME TOO EVEN MORE THAN KIWOOD -- which is why it'll take even more time!
Quattro: More George in chapter 4, you'll see :)
Cinqo: YOU ARE HIRRANDIPOPS AND YOU MAKE MY DAY EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. &hearts

Hehe, I giggled at "extremely regulated and secretive family meeting." One of my favorite things to read about Next-Gen stories is all of the goings-on of the Potter-Weasley clan! The family gathering and the detailed list of Charlie's girlfriends were particularly funny! Don't remember if I've mentioned this in a previous review, but I love that the Seasons sisters have their own little clan that's becoming entwined with those of canon. I can just imagine them all running around Hogwarts, practically taking over the castle. xD

The dueling scene was great! Really well-written; I could see everything perfectly. It's so nice that this generation of students is able to to actually practice DADA in class, instead of the poor Trio. I really liked the bit where the professor told Summer and Autumn to try different partners sometime because they may not always be there for one another. It showed their dependency on one another (although they are clearly very independent people, choosing never to marry) and, I think, a bit of foreshadowing?

I thought it was strange that Peeves gave her a straight answer, though. Isn't that who he is as a character: as annoying as he could possibly be? He does care for Fern, which I thought was cute, but I think he's enough of a complete prat to be a pest to everyone else, including her sister. What if he was being himself until she asks about Fern, and then he starts being kinder? That would really show how he feels about their unique friendship. I did like the bit with Miss Norris though.

Bahahaha, Lorcan is defensive over female goblins' rights. Would I be a complete arrogant twit if I thought my Edie had something to do with that? ;D The two should meet!

The snowball fight was cute. Do I sense something going on between Louis and Autumn? Mebbe? And I want to know what's happening with Fern!

Can I just say, again, how much I love the comraderie between friends here? They all mesh together so well, and their friendship seems so genuine. It doesn't seem at all like characters tossed together solely for the purpose of having supporting roles, or "the best friend" stock character. The scene where they're eating banana bread in their onesie pyjamas was so cute.

Louis is totally not just looking for a random date. They're so cute! I know I keep saying this in your reviews, but I can't wait for some CIs so I can see what he looks like xD (What? I am entirely too visual of a person.) I can see Blake Lively doing all of this stuff clearly, and I know a lot of people don't think it's the most important aspect of a story, but I think you've chosen the perfect person to play these characters, with their personality and all.

Can't wait for your next update!

Author's Response: YOU ARE THE BEST.

I love the Weasley/Potters too, but heck, writing them all together is insanely complicated! We get to see a secretive and regulated meeting in the future, I hope you'll like it!

That DADA lesson was so much fun to write. I don't actually understand why people leave description of classes aside, it's much more interesting than describing parties or balls or whatever plot device throws characters together.
And yes, perhaps that was a bit of foreshadowing, but I won't say anything else!

The thing with Peeves, yes. I was planning to include some more explanation that I forgot about, but it'll come up in chapter four. Basically, I figured that Peeves would, at Fern's demand, leave her sisters alone as well, unless they're part of a group that Peeves wants to prank. I don't know if that makes much sense...

Nah, you wouldn't be an arrogant twit. Lorcan is very much inspired from Edie, at least at the level of defending female goblins' rights! They should definitely meet though, it would be an interesting encounter :)

Louis and Autumn? NOOO, OF COURSE NOT. Why on Earth would you suppose something so ludicruous? (Mebbe indeed).

I love the girls as a group. And I can tell you for sure that there will be many more moments with all of them!

Maybe, maybe not! I'm slowly getting CIs, and there are some already for chapters 1 and 2. I imagine Louis as Hunter Parrish though, if you're interested.

awww i love louis! and although i got a bit confused by all the characters at the start and i don't think i'll be able to keep track of who is who especially in the Peasterly? clan, i love it. i am definitely looking forward to the next chapter. :)

Author's Response: Daww, you.

I'll add a family tree at the end of the next chapter to clear things up.

It's cool to see Oc's who aren't exactly with the Wotters and all. I loved how you put Rox in there since she is barely ever mentioned.

The names! Wow. That was intense really. I had a bit of trouble keeping with them all so maybe that is a turn off for people? Since it makes reading a lot harder. Maybe you could give more identifiers of the characters so we become more comfortable with them?

The divorce thing was really interesting since I have never seen that happening before. I wonder how that will work out really. It's pretty unique too so great job!

You said you weren't sure of pairings and I was thinking maybe that would really help if you could figure that out. you didn't necessarily need pairings, you could just have none but pairings is something ppl look for when reading fanfic (sometimes) esp. since its Young Adult.

Besides that, great job! Keep up the great work =) I really love the idea!

Mya :D

Author's Response: Hello!

Yes, I've been told about the first chapter being difficult to follow, and I'm planning to include some kind of family tree, along with deeoer insight into each persona.

Did I ever say that? I can't remember anything about it (God, I'm worse than I thought), because for me pairings have always been clear. Hmmm...